Steam-trap.



No. 735,294. i PATBNTED Ava-4, 1903. W. J. POOLE.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. Z4, 1903. N0 MODEL.

A \\\E u w a n n: Nenms prrins m. PHO

' a subject of the `King ofGreat Britainand Ireland, and a resident of19.Waverley'R-ark,`

Patented August 4, 190e.

PATENTn OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. POOLE, OF HIGH SHAWLANDS, SCOTLAND.

sTEAM-TRA P.

srncrrrcerrolv feruuiug peut ef Lettere retenu No. 735,294, dated August4, 190e.

` appiieeueu het rebfuery 24,1903, `saiu11ta144n54. (ne model.)

fTO ctZZ whom, ijn/ay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAMJOHN POOLE,

High Shawlands, in the county of Glasgow, Scotland, (whose postaladdress 'is 19 Waver` ley Park, HighlShawlands, Glasgow, Scotland,) haveinvented certain new Improvements in and Connectedwith. Steam-Traps,

(for which I have applied for a British pat-` ent, No. 17,281, dated`August 6, 1902,.) of

which the following is a speciication.

My said invention relates to steam-traps of .the type in which is usedan inverted bell havinga central guiding-spindle, and has for its objectto improve the construction of such steam-traps so that the opening ofthe discharge-valve will not depend `merely on the weight of the bellwhen the water of condensation overflows thereinto, asis usual with thisclass of steam-trap, but will be controlled by the action of the uidon apiston part connected to the discharge-valve, the supply of the Huid tothis piston being controlled by a small valve actuated by the float. Myinvention also comprises means whereby the valves are kept tightly ontheir seats in order to insure that .the bell shall not be emptied byleakage past vthe valves when they are closed.` p f i My presentinvention is preferably applied in connection with steamtraps providedwith the improved device `for causingV the valves to grind on theirseats after closing as described in my patent specification Serial No.73,074.

In carrying out my invention in the case` of a steam-trap such as isshown in vertical section in the accompanying sheet of draw ings therefloats in the water of condensation in the trap A the usual invertedbell A', having attached to it in the usual manner a central spindle A2;but insteadof this spindle carrying the usual discharge-valve it has onits upper end a small valve A2, hereinafter termed a,pilotva'lve,controllingapassage B, formedthrough a main discharge-valve B andcommunicating with the upper end of a cylinder B2, in which works apiston B8, connected to the upper end of the discharge-Valve B', but oflarger area than such valve. The central spindle A2 is guided by vanes Othereon, bearing on vthe inner side of a tube O', attached to andextending 1down from the discharge-valve B into the lbell A. This tube Cis not rigidly tixed to the main discharge-valve B', but is attached'thereto by looselyfitting screw parts and locking-pins C2, so as togive a slight amount lof flexibility to the joint, so that any want of`alinemen`t of the inner tube C or outer main discharge -pipe C3,hereinafter referred to, shall not prevent the main discharge-valve 3Bfrom closing tightly on its seat D, .and also shall not prevent the tubeC', valve B', and pistonBSfrom together revolving and moving vertically,as hereinafter described, with the minimum amount of friction. The tubeC has on its outer side vanes D', which bear on Athe inner side of themain discharge-pipe O2, dippinginto the bell A', and the tube has alsoon its lower end a weighted ring or ily-wheel D4 for a purposehereinafter described.

When the inverted bell A is in its highest position, the pilot-valve A3and the dischargevalve B are both closed by the buoyancy of the bell andthe pressure of the fluid on the `'tube C and discharge-pipe C2. Whenthe 1bell Af sinks,the small valve A3 is opened,and water rising throughthetube C ows through ithe passage B in the discharge-valve B into ,thecylinder-space B2 above the piston B2. The upper side of the piston B3and the lower side of the discharge-valve B are now under `approximatelythe same pressure; but the area of the piston being greater than that ofthe discharge-valve. the latter is forced downward, land the fluid" thenescapes up the main discharge-pipe C3 and through the opening controlledby the main valve into the discharge D2. When the piston B3 has moveddown the requisite distance to open the discharge-valve B this movementuncovers a relief ort D2,

,B3 therefore moves upward again until the relief-port D3 is partlyclosedand a state of IOO equilibrium reached between the pressures onthe lower side of the discharge-valve B and the upper side of the pistonB3. When the bell A' is partly empty, it rises sufficiently to close thepilot-valve A8 on its seat and so cut off the supply of tluid to thecylinder B2, and as the piston B3 is not a close lfit in the cylinderthe pressure therein falls, owing to leakage, past the piston. As thefluid thus escapes from the cylinder B2 the piston BB rises, owing tothe combined action of the pressure on the lower side of thedischargevalve B and the buoyancy of the bell A, and the discharge-valveis broughtto its seat.

In steam-traps of this type if the dischargevalve B or even thepilot-valve A3 should from any cause be kept from closing tightly ontheir seats the steam-pressure in the trap causes the water which shouldotherwise gather in the bell A to siphon out past either the leaky maindischarge-valve B or in the case of the pilot-valve A8 past that valveand past the piston B3, the latter not being a tight fit, and owing tothis leakage the bell A does not flll and sink, as it should do. Toovercome this defect, I form a small opening E not only through thedischarge-pipe C3, but also another similar opening E through the innertube G', these openings being below the valves. By this means I obtainequilibrium of steam-pressure in the bell A and in the discharge-pipe C3and tube C above the level ot' the water therein. This prevents thewater rising in the discharge-pipe C3 or in the tube C and allows it togather in the bellA until its weight is such that the bell sinks, asusual. The size of the openings E E must be considerably smaller thanthe passages controlled by the valves A3 or B', so as to prevent thepossibility of the steampressure inthe discharge-pipe C3 or in the tubeC interferring with the free action and discharge of the water ofcondensation once the bell does descend, as hereinbet'ore described. Theguiding-vanes C D' are so constructed and held that when the water ofcondensation is being discharged, as described, not only will the bellbe revolved as it empties and rises, as described in my patentspecification Serial No. 73,074, but also the tube C, attached to thedischarge-valve B and carrying the {1y-wheel D4, the vanes OD being socarried that these parts and ,the two valves A3 B rotate in oppositedirections, the piston B8 also rotating with the valve B. When thevalves have reached their closed positions again, the momentum which thebell A and the fly-wheel D4 have gained will make both valves turn ontheir seats more or less and 6o insure the desired grinding action beingobtained. l

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A steam-trap, having adischarge-pipe, a main discharge-valve and a piston'controlling theoutlet from such pipe, a pilot-valve opening into a normally closedchamber, the piston-working in said chamber, and an in verted bell tocontrol the movements of the discharge-valve and piston, substantiallyas described.

2. A steam-trap having a discharge-pipe, a discharge-valve and a tubeattached thereto within the pipe, a piston on such valve, a cylinder inwhich the piston works, a reliefport from the cylinder, a passagethrough the valve and piston, a pilot-valve controlling the passage, aspindle carrying the pilot-valve and an inverted bell attached to suchspindle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A steam-trap, having a discharge-pipe, a main discharge-valve and apiston controlling the outlet from such pipe, a pilot-valve opening intoa normally closed chamber, the piston working in said chamber, and aninverted bell to control the movements of the discharge-valve andpiston, in combination with means for rotating the valve so arrangedthat the passage of iiuid against them during discharge will rotate thevalve, whereby it is caused to grind on itspseat upon and after closing,substantially asdescribed.

4:. A steam-trap having a discharge-pipe,

a main discharge-valve and a piston controlling the outlet from suchpipe, a cylinder for the piston, a relief-port from the cylinder and apassage through the Valve and piston, a pilot-valve controlling thepassage, a tube attached to the discharge-valve and extending downwithin the discharge-pipe, a spindle carrying the pilot-valve, aninverted bell attached to the spindle, and a small opening formedthrough both the tube and dischargepipe below the level of the valves,substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. A steam-trap having a discharge-pipe, a discharge-valve and pistontherefor, a pilotvalve for the main Valve, a spindle carrying thepilot-valve at one end and an inverted bell at the other, a tubeattached to the discharge-valve and extending down beyond the end of thedischarge-pipe, a fly-wheel on-the tube and vanes on the spindle and onthe tube, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM J. POOLE.

Witnesses:

. DAVID FERGUSON,

GEORGE PATTERSON.

ioo

